Food waste disposer

• US 3,875,462 A
• Filed: 02/01/1973
• Issued: 04/01/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: George E. Kiefer, Lauren W. Guth
• Original Assignee: George E. Kiefer, Lauren W. Guth
• Inventors: Guth, Lauren W., Kiefer, George E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, J. D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Salce, Patrick R.
• Application Number:
  US05/328,683
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 241/31,46A,46B,46.17,257G,101.5,285A,285B,299 310/43,90,157,68C,68R,68B,68A 317/13R,13B,13C,13D,4R 337/348
• US Class Current: 241/36
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/25 Devices for sensing temperature, or actuated thereby

Abstract

There is disclosed a food waste disposer having a combined overload switch mounting and ground plate. The plate is fastened directly to the bottom of the stator housing. The mounting plate allows recessing of the overload reset switch button, provides a direct heat conductive path from the motor bearing toward the overload switch, facilitates assembly of the disposer, provides a cap which prevents lubricant loss from the lower motor bearing, and provides an electrical ground connection to the lower motor bearing.

Claims

1. An electrically energized food waste disposer comprising an electrically non-conductive stator housing;

a vertical rotor bearing carried by the housing and exposed on the lower housing end;

a thermally and electrically conductive member affixed to the housing in thermal and electrical contact with the bearing, said conductive member including an imperforate section enclosing the bearing end;

a lubricate source adjacent the lower bearing end;

a switch carried by the member in heat exchanging relation thereto for de-energizing the disposer in response to a detrimental change in operating condition of said bearing;

a cover affixed to the housing for enclosing the switch and member and including an electrical terminal; and

means grounding the member to the terminal.

2. The disposer of claim 1 wherein the switch is thermally and electrically responsive.

3. The disposer of claim 1 wherein the imperforate member section provides a cup below the lubricant source and bearing for receiving lubricant leakage.

4. The disposer of claim 1 wherein the stator housing comprises a matrix of electrically non-conductive material having embedded therein an electrically and thermally conductive insert in engagement with the lower rotor bearing, the member being in thermal and electrical contact with the insert.

5. The disposer of claim 4 comprising threaded fasteners securing the member to the insert, the threaded fasteners providing a thermal and electrical contact between the member and the insert.

6. The disposer of claim 5 wherein the grounding means comprises a wire connected to one of the fasteners and to the terminal.

7. The disposer of claim 1 wherein the switch is normally closed and includes means placing and maintaining the switch in a switch open position in response to increasing bearing temperature and/or current and a reset button for manipulating the switch from the open position to the normally closed position, the reset button residing within the confines of the cover, the cover having an opening adjacent the button providing access thereto.